Safety cigarette holder



E. S. HALSEY SAFETY CIGARETTE HOLDER July 12, 1938.

Filed June 30, 1957 Patented July 12, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in safety cigarette holders in the nature of a novel mouthpiece for guarding the cigarette butt from mutilation while supported by the smokers'lips.

5 Incorporated with and projecting from said mouthpiece is a holder for the ash formation which also acts as a guard and spark arrester. This guard is constituted by a fine, helically wound spring wire of inherently low heat conduction with its successive convolutions wound suiliciently close to effectively catch and supportthe coagulated ash clusters, being equipped at its outer end with a suitable closure.

. It is a matter of universal knowledge that while 15 the common cigarette holder protects the butts from mutilation and moisture and keeps loose ends of tobacco from the mouth, they never have been popular for various reasons, most notably because of their length, Weight and shape, it is not practicable to support them simply by the lips, but they must be clamped by the teeth, which is not satisfactory or agreeable. Moreover, when clamped by the teeth, the smoke inlet draft to the mouth, coming through a relatively small aperture, is of high velocity, hot and concentrated as it strikes the tongue inside the teeth, leaving a disagreeable burning sensation.

With my specially formed, light-weight and short lip-grip holder with a large smoke passage which does not pass between the teeth, said objections are overcome and a far more convenient, pleasant and satisfactory smoke is obtainable. All previous suggested cigarette-holder ashcatchers have been several times heavier than mine, and at the same time more bulky and protrusive, intricate and expensive, good conductors and storers of heat and dirt.

While my ash holder does not purport to be tight against the sifting of ashes when roughly handled, it effectively fulfills its main purpose, which is to catch and hold the coagulated ash clusters until such time as it is convenient to otherwise dispose of them, either before or after the completion of ones smoke. Consequently, it is of great satisfaction to absent-minded, preoccupied smokers, particularly so indoors, or while reading, reclining, driving or working.

My prime object is to supply a simple, durable and convenient device of the above nature at lowest cost.

Detailed objects are to supply: a lip-grip holder of suitable form and material so short and light it can conveniently and agreeably be held simply by the users lips, and one from which short butts can more easily and conveniently be ejected; a

very light, durable ash cylinder of suitable form and material to guard against soiling or burning of the fingers or other external objects, one that will protect the cigarette paper when handled by damp fingers, and one free from small holes or ash-holding crevices, readily cleanable by a few sharp raps either during or after smoking, and of so low lateral heat conduction that it can be handled optionally from either end as the burning ember progresses; a safety holder conveniently charged, lighted and discharged. And further to supply a safety cigarette holder with a wide flaring, fiat, button-like mouthpiece extremity, acting not only as a lip-hold anchor, but as a safety base upon which it can be stood upright, when lighted, on any convenient fiat surface, such as table, desk or Woodwork and left indefinitely Without danger or damage, and, if equipped with my helical wire guard at'the time, there will be no objectionable scattering of ashes, even if left to burn entirely out.

Minor objects will be made apparent by the following detailed description:

The invention resides in the construction, combination, specific character and application of materials and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device loaded with the cigarette C, in the smoking or horizontal position;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of same as seen from the opposite side and in its vertical position as when stood upright on its fiat end base;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation, showing the wire guard end closure;

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the mouthpiece;

Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the wire guard ash holder;

Fig. 6 is a detailed sectional view of the mouthpiece and attached end of wire guard;

Fig; '7 is an elevation of a modified form of the device;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detailed view of the modified device shown by Fig. '7; 45

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of said modified form;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of a modified nonmetallic form of the mouthpiece.

The mouthpiece l is preferably constructed in one piece of a thin, light-weight drawn metal 50 shell, such as silver or aluminum (preferably the latter). The closed end of the shell being die-' crushed in such manner as to concave it slightly and simultaneously spread it widely to form the circular lip-grip fiange and base or fiange 2, which finally is pierced by the large smoke fiue 3 through which a blunt instrument (such as the ever present match stick) can conveniently be thrust for the ejection of over-short butts.

The opposite open end of said shell is belled outwardly in a corresponding flaring flange 4, which is notched to its full depth, and one of its corners beside said notch is bent back at right angles to form the stop-block 5.

This notched flange is formed spirally so as to constitute a one-turn anchor thread for an end engagement with said spiral wire ash holder.

The last two end convolutions 8 and 8 of said wire are wound snugly together, constituting an elastic cooperating locking thread, mating with thread 4 of the mouthpiece, the entrance to their screw engagement being facilitated by the outwardly bent extremity 1 of the thread wire which comes to a solid stop after the completion of one screw-turn against said stop-block 5.

This conveniently operated screw junction between the mouth-piece and wire guard supplies a ready means for the loading and discharging of the residue after completion of a smoke. After a cigarette is inserted in the mouthpiece, the wire guard may be slipped freely over it and screwed up one turn, whereupon the twisting movement is arrested by stop 5.

The outer end of the wire cylinder 6 is effectively closed against dropping of ash clusters by the retractingly coiled wire end closure 9 thereof.

In the modification shown by Figs. '7, 8 and 9, the ribbed lip-grip mouth-holding section and the ash-holding section of the device are wound from one continuous piece of spring wire, the parallel ash-holding section being indicated by 6a, and the tapering end section I constituting the lipgrip mouthpiece, which also snugly confines and supports the butt end of the cigarette and at the same time affords a rigid protection therefor from mutilation by the mouth.

The outer end of the ash-holding cylinder is equipped'with an openly vented manually operated triangular closure member ID of light metal, pivotally swung at l3 on the bent end I4 of the wire, and having a bent stop lug II and a large central vent hole [2 to facilitate lighting.

This conveniently swung closure affords an effective ash cluster stop when closed and a ready means for loading and discharging resulting residue when in the open position, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 9.

The modified lip-grip mouthpiece shown in longitudinal section by Fig. 10 is equivalent in general form to that of the drawn shell construction shown by Fig. 6. This modification is introduced to show that the mouthpiece may be molded, if desired, from a suitable non-metallic material, such as bakelite, instead of said drawn metal construction, and further to emphasize the fact that this short, general form of holder, having a flaring lip fiange and an annular base on which it can be stood upright instead of laying it down. is an important improvement in safety cigarette holders, even without the wire guard. The lipgrip holder meets the desires of a large class of inveterate lip-holding smokers, providing them with a pleasing device with which to indulge in said practice without the wetting and messing up of the butts within the mouth as was formerly done.

Last, but not least, the wide base provided upon which the burning cigarette can be safely stood upright (as shown in Fig. 2) at convenient times and places will obviously result in a tremendous economic saving which can only be fully appreciated after careful observation and consideration of the universally scattered and innumerable instances of irreparable defacement to furniture, woodwork and what not by burning cigarettes laid down, just for a moment, and forgotten. Moreover, the annual fire loss of life and property from this same cause is extensive, all of which would be eliminated by the universal adoption and use of the above described safety feature by cigarette smokers.

Attention is attracted to the fact that this latter safety feature secured by said upright standing holder is effective even if it is used without the Wire guard cylinder, which, in some cases, it may be. In either case, if the burning cigarette is left standing upright on said base, no injury or burning of woodwork can result, but if the wire guard is not used there will result a deposit of cold ashes surrounding the base. It is obvious that, though I prefer the all-metal mouthpiece, it can be made entirely non-metallic as described, or the butt-holding cylinder I can be of metal and mechanically joined to a washer-like bakelite button similar in formation to the part 20., to serve as a lip-grip and standing base; or, further, the butt-holding element carrying the spring wire ash holder can be directly joined to a conventional mouthpiece and still be within the spirit and comprehension of my invention.

Ultralightness, especially of the projecting ash holder, together with" very low heat conduction and durability, are important attributes of this device, and I achieve them all in my ash cylinder by winding it openly of a fine, permanently elastic spring wire of very low inherent heat conductivity, which may be of carbon steel or a suitable alloy steel of somewhat higher heat resistance and elasticity, resistant to corrosion.

However, I find piano wire of about .025" diameter satisfactory for the purpose. Its high elasticity is not appreciably lessened, in use, by the heat of the cigarette, nor is it easily deformed by rough handling. It takes on a blue protective coating of oxide from heat treatment and has the lowest conduction of heat of any of the common commercial metals applicable for this purpose.

Believing that a clear understanding of the functions and operation of my invention is obvious from the foregoing description, I will not take more space here to describe them further.

I claim:

1. In a safety cigarette holder unit, a mouthpiece section thereof for holding the butt end of a cigarette; and an ash holder projecting from and supported by said mouth section, consisting of a light, openly wound helical coil of high heat resistance spring wire; and a closure fitted to the outer end of said ash holder, said closure being movable to a position to facilitate the introduction of the cigarette and the dumping of residue.

2. In a safety cigarette holder, a mouthpiece; a butt-holding cavity in the outer end of said mouthpiece; an external screw anchor thread formed around the outer end of said mouthpiece; a detachable ash holder cage extending out from and supported by said mouthpiece, said ash holder comprising a helically wound spring wire engaged at its inner end with said anchor thread, the inner end of said ash holder being similar in diameter and direction of winding to said thread on the end of the mouthpiece so that the elastic spiral inner end of said holder can conveniently be screwed into and out of engagement with said anchor thread.

3. A safety cigarette holder including an ash holder consisting solely of an openly wound helical coil of fine wire, said ash holder completely surrounding the cigarette and having adjacent convolutions spaced apart but sufficiently close together to support the ash as it is formed, the spaces between the convolutions being successively made air pervious as the cigarette is consumed, whereby to permit air to enter the holder from substantially all sides of the holder and immediately adjacent the burning end of the cigarette.

4. In a safety cigarette holder, a mouthpiece for the confinement of the butt end of the cigarette; an ash holder projecting from and supported by said mouthpiece and consisting solely of an openly wound helical coil of fine spring wire, said ash holder surrounding the cigarette and having its: succeeding convolutions spaced sufliciently for the free circulation of air between them, but sufiiciently close together to support the cumulative ash clusters, and a vented ash retainer at the outer end of said holder, said spring wire being of high carbon steel hard drawn and of high spring temper.

5. A safety cigarette holder comprising a mouthpiece adapted to be held solely by'the lips and having an over-all length slightly greater than the length of the butt or that portion of the cigarette held between the lips, said mouthpiece being rigid and having a butt-receiving cavity extending approximately throughout its entire length, said mouthpiece being provided at its front end with an outwardly directed spiral flange, and an ash holder having a spiral rear end detachably engaged with said flange.

EDWARD S. HALSEY. 

